Following last Friday’s narrow win against Drogheda United in the FAI Ford Cup, UCD go into tonight’s game against Sligo Rovers looking to finish the first half of the season on a high. Having played Drogheda United 4 times this season, after fifteen league games this is the first time UCD and Sligo Rovers have met this season.

They say you make your own luck in sport and UCD certainly did that to earn a deserved 2-1 victory over a spirited and resurgent Drogheda United. It was the fourth meeting of the two teams this season with UCD winning on all 3 previous occasions. Form would suggest that UCD would run out comfortable winners but that was not the case at Hunky Dory Park as Drogheda United made the students fight for everything and ultimately came up short thanks to a David McMillan goal that horribly deceived Drogheda keeper, Paul Skinner.

The opening 30 minutes of the game were filled with half chances as both teams attempted to get into a rhythm. Billy Brennan was the busier of the two keepers early on making an instinctive save from point blank range from a Joe Kendrick corner that was headed goalwards by John Flood. Drogheda United were playing very deep inviting UCD to play the ball in neat passing sequences in front of them but never allowing them in behind the defence.

On the rare occasion that UCD did find themselves in a scoring position the accuracy was slightly off. UCD’s first chance came about as a result of a defensive error as Michael Daly sliced his clearance towards his own goal and watched in horror as the ball rebounded off the post and across the line, his relief was obvious when Skinner picked up the ball and the danger was over.

Greg Bolger found himself in space on the edge of the Drogheda box and his delicate chip was only inches away from nestling in the back of the net. Ciaran Kilduff worked himself into a good shooting opportunity but his effort cleared the bar.

Those UCD chances did not hide the fact that Drogheda looked dangerous on the counter attack and one of many forays forward lead to a corner kick for the home team. Kendrick swung the cross in and a static UCD defence looked on as Michael Daly showed he is well able to score at the right end.

This goal sprung the students to life and no longer content to just hold onto possession, they became more incisive and began to create chances, especially down the right hand side with the impressive Sean Harding complimenting the attacking skills of the skilful Chris Mulhall. It was one of these breaks down the right that saw Mulhall turn his man inside out before beating the reinforcements and unleashing an unstoppable shot into the far corner of the net.

The second half saw UCD begin to control the game as Drogheda seemed content to settle for a draw. UCD moved the ball from left to right dragging their opposition all over the field but still could not create the defining clear cut chance that would put the tie to bed.

Sean Harding was as impressive going forward as he was defending his goal and with Evan McMillan and Andy Boyle offering little in the way of space to the Drogheda front line it gave the UCD midfield the licence to push forward. Ciaran Nangle was at his industrious best on the left, firing balls into the feet of Ciaran Kilduff as Bolger and Ward looked to feed of the number nine’s layoffs.

It was looking as if the tie was heading for a stalemate when Nangle worked the ball to David McMillan, on a hot scoring streak, who took the ball down the left hand side and unleashed an unstoppable cross that caught out Skinner in goal and flew into the far top corner. Cue celebrations from the sizeable travelling support and relief as UCD’s efforts finally paid off.

The last 15 minutes of the game saw Drogheda pile on the pressure and if it wasn’t for Billy Brennan a replay in the Bowl would have been pencilled into the fixture list. As it was, UCD left the ground formerly known as United Park knowing that Chris Mulhall’s crisp finish, David McMillan’s ingenuity and Billy Brennan’s reflexes had ensured that everything was in fact Hunky Dory.

Drogheda: Skinner, Treacy, Kendrick, McNally, McGill E, McGill B, Flood, Osborne, O’Connor (Fitzpatrick 85), Daly, Brennan (Duffy 61).

UCD: Brennan, Harding (Roche 85), Nangle, Boyle, McMillan D, Bolger, Ward (Creevy 82), Corry, Kilduff, Mulhall, McMillan E.

Referee: D. Tomney (Dublin)